


Occupational Hazard

by flightinflame



Series: The Misadventures of Auror Weiss [2]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: 1920s attitudes, Aurors, Hurt Newt Scamander, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, M/M, MACUSA | Magical Congress of the United States of America, Misunderstandings, Original Percival Graves is a Softie, Past Child Abuse, Victim Blaming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-23 01:27:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11392485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame
Summary: Auror Weiss likes her boss, and tolerates his husband. But she can't help noticing the bruises on Newt's body, and she starts to worry.





	Occupational Hazard

**Author's Note:**

> Whilst the only spousal abuse in this fic is someone misunderstanding, please do consider your own health when reading!  
> Thank you to Lourdes for all their help.  
> Based on this prompt: http://fantasticbeasts-kinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/459.html?thread=595147#cmt595147

Auror Evelyn Weiss rather enjoyed the fact that Newt had gone from being an everpresent thorn in MACUSA's side to someone that would drop into the office with neatly filled in evidence for a case. It was clear that the night he had spent in MACUSA's cells had helped to focus him - as did the fact the aurors now knew that if he was causing trouble, they could march straight up to the Director's door.

Newt wandered out from the Director's office one day, his everpresent battered suitcase hanging at his side. Evelyn was sitting at her desk, Abigail reading a book beside her. Sam wasn't well, and it had been decided that the little girl would be safer at work than at risk of infection at home. Her daughter was still learning to read, but could make out most of the words, and adored the pictures.

Normally, Newt and Weiss were civil to each other, but kept their distance. Evelyn was only too aware that she had potentially drawn the Director's attention to something that Newt would have rather kept secret. Today though, Newt approached, crouching down in front of Abigail.  
"Is that _Dilly the Dragon_?" he asked in wide eyed wonder. "I used to love that book. Let me see." He closed his eyes and began to recite. " _Dilbert the dragon was all alone, Dilbert the dragon wandered far from home, Dilbert the dragon was at his wit's end, Dilbert the dragon needed a friend. He sighed and said 'I've searched high and I've searched low, but still I have far further to go.'_ " He smiled brightly at Abigail. "I like reading it to my youngest. She's eight, so she says she's too old. But she lets me read it to the niffler, and she listens."

Abigail giggled, and Newt reached out to pat her before glancing at Evelyn Evelyn smiled and inclined her head a little, and Newt ruffled Abigail's hair.  
"Maybe one day you can meet my little girl. She needs some friends her own age."  
"I'm six."  
"That's alright," Newt smiled, “I'm sure she'll still like you."

"The director said you had three children you found with some No-Maj woman," Weiss murmured.  
"We do. Modesty, Chastity and Credence. Credence is the oldest, he's... he's a troubled young man, but he has a kind heart. Modesty is the little one, and Chastity is a squib. She works with a Muggle baker, and she's very good... gives bread and other food to the local street children." Newt was almost glowing with pride as he spoke.

"Well, thank you. It's good to talk to you, and I'm sorry about before."  
"Please don't be," Newt answered, not quite meeting her eye. "It's better this kind of thing is out in the open. No hard feelings." He stuck out his hand for her to shake, and she noticed a ring of bruising around his wrist, as though he had been gripped painfully hard. She smiled and shook his hand before she waved him away, listening to Abigail's reading.

She could still picture those bruises. She told herself that it didn't matter - Newt was a troublemaker and he needed a firm hand. The Director was just making sure that he didn't get into any worse problems. It was reasonable, especially given the kind of situation that she had caught Newt in before.  
"Do you think he can suggest more books?" Abigail asked. "Because he does a good voice for Dilly."  
"I'll see," Evelyn answered. "Hopefully your mom will be feeling better soon and you can stay home with her."

***

It was a few days later that she saw Newt slip from the Director's office again. This time his head was bowed, and he appeared to be attempting to sneak along the corridor. It was certainly not the most effective attempt at sneaking she had ever seen, but she did feel he deserved a couple of points for effort. 

Remembering Abigail's request, she approached, planning to ask him if he could recommend any books for a little girl who loved Dilly. She reached out to grab his arm and he jerked away from her, lifting his head a little.

His lip was split and swollen, the skin around it purple. It looked as though it had been bleeding heavily, and she couldn't help staring. He seemed to notice her stare, ducking his head down once more.  
"I fell," he muttered, "I really do need to be getting going, sorry." He hurried out past her, not looking back.

She was a little worried now. The original bruising had been slight, but this was more violent. She grabbed a clean sheet of paper and scrawled down what she could remember of both incidents. That way, hopefully at least she would be able to have evidence if it needed to be taken further. It was the same way she had dealt with concerns when she had been a Prefect for Puckwudgie. Record everything, and then if anything happened, you would be prepared.

She hoped she would never need to look at the paper again.

***

Two weeks later, she had another incident to add. She saw Newt leaving his husband's office with a black eye. He rubbed at it when he noticed her staring, and she reached into a pocket to draw out a potion she used to soothe bruises.

He smiled at her shyly, although he didn't meet her eyes.  
"Thank you, but I can make my own." He headed off, without saying any more, and she noted it down.

***

Over the next month, her list got longer. There was one day when she caught him with blood on his clothes as he headed into the office. When she stared he merely scourgified it away with a murmur of apology.

Initially she had thought that he was shy, but as time continued she noticed he didn't make eye contact with her or with any of the aurors. He was jumpy, and he didn't seem to know how to handle himself around people. On its own, any one of these incidents could be ignored. Being presented with the list of them written down on paper meant that she was starting to worry. 

She curled up in bed beside Sam, a frown lingering on her face.  
"You look serious," Sam murmured, kissing her forehead.  
"Worried about someone at work," she explained, before explaining the list - not mentioning who was involved. "It's just one of the junior aurors."  
"His boyfriend in MACUSA?"  
"No." Evelyn didn't like to lie, but she didn't want to get Sam muddled up in anything unless she could be certain about it. With a sinking feeling in her chest, she realised that she would have to talk to Newt about it.

Sam seemed to reach the same conclusion, peppering kisses across her face.  
"You need to talk to him. Whatever you're worrying about, if he needs help, he deserves for someone to talk to him. You can do that."

Evelyn nodded, and closed her eyes. That night, sleep didn't come.

***

It was surprisingly hard to find a good reason to corner Newt and confront him with what had been happening. Her first plan had merely been to say some feeble excuse, but Newt seemed to actively be avoiding her. An orphan thunderbird had been rescued on a job, and he had taken it on himself to care for the creature. So for almost two weeks she saw nothing of him.

Eventually though, she managed to find him. He was sitting at one of the desks in the Wand Permit Office, the thunderbird chick sitting on his lap. He looked up as she approached.  
"Auror Weiss-"  
"Evelyn is fine. Mister?"  
"Newt," Newt said firmly, then smiled up at her. "I don't think you've met Sarah yet, have you?" 

Evelyn leaned down in to take a look, and the chick launched forwards. Newt pulled her back into his lap, patting the wing feathers and yelping slightly as she nipped at his fingers.  
"Fingers still aren't food Sarah."  
"I haven't been seeing you around," Evelyn said softly, "have you been busy?"  
"Well, Sarah keeps me busy. And I've been trying to spend a bit more time with the children," Newt explained. "Chas is working in a bakery, and she's doing marvelously. And Modesty's controlling her magic every day."  
"And the other one?"  
"Credence isn't doing so well," Newt admitted. "I've been keeping an eye, but he's old to learn his magic." 

"You know that they were..." Evelyn's voice trailed off. She knew plenty of families that had been torn apart by a squib child. They'd all worked with cases where squib children had been tortured, even killed for what they were.  
"We knew when we found them," Newt shrugged. "Anyway we would never change them."  
"I'd like to meet them," Evelyn said with a soft smile. "I have a couple of books Abigail has finished, if your little girl would like them?"  
"Thank you. I'm sure she would, I might be able to bring her in a few days."

***

Evelyn stared at her list, frowning and shaking her head slightly. She needed to speak with her boss about this. Pursing her lips, she considered her options. She could hardly walk into the office and ask the Director if he was beating his husband, but she couldn't do nothing. Eventually she knocked on her office door.  
"Sir?"  
"Come in Auror Weiss... is everything alright?"  
"I wondered how Newt was getting on with Sarah."  
"He's doing well," the director smiled.  
"It's not... causing any problems?" Weiss tried to ask. "I mean, if I can assist at all I will do so."

"Thank you. But I can handle my family." The director said firmly, and Evelyn slipped away, worried she might have just made things worse.

***

Modesty was an adorable little girl who clung to Newt's hand, gazing around in wide-eyed wonder. She had a bowtruckle perched on her shoulder, and she walked around the aurors’ office shyly. She squealed when she saw Goldstein, running forwards as Newt went to talk with Auror Espada about a smuggling case he had been working on.  
"Aunty Tina!"  
"Hello!" Tina squealed, wrapping an arm around her gently. "You two come in to see me today?"  
Modesty nodded and looked around at the other aurors, waving nervously. Evelyn smiled, crouching down beside her.  
"So you're the Director's little girl?"  
She nodded.

"It's good to meet you."  
"Are you a witch like Aunty Tina?"  
"I am," she agreed. "And like you I hear?"  
Modesty nodded and smiled.

"So what are you up to today?"  
"We're going to have lunch with daddy," Modesty explained.  
"Your brother and sister at home?"  
"Yes, they're making dinner. Cre got scared yesterday after he messed up dinner, so Chas is helping him to cook something better tonight," Modesty said brightly. "Cre doesn't like new people. He gets worried and then he gets angry, so this is better." She didn't seem to worry, just accepted that this was how things were. Evelyn wanted to wrap an arm around her, but Newt was looking up from talking to Auror Espada so she didn't.

Modesty gazed wide eyed at Auror Espada for a moment, before flinching back, her eyes seeming to go pale. Dark mist flickered from her body. Newt looked between Auror Espada and Modesty.  
"Diego?"  
"Yes?" Auror Espada replied, frowning.  
"Sit down, now." Newt ordered, his voice firm but gentle. The auror sat down, and Newt walked towards his daughter, crouching down in front of her and resting his hands on her shoulders.  
"It's okay Modesty. It's okay. Mummy's here, you're safe, Mummy's here.."  
Slowly Modesty's appearance returned to normal and she flung herself into Newt's arms, sobbing. He rubbed her back gently.  
"Mommy..." She sniffled. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."  
"You don't need to apologise beautiful," Newt pressed a kiss to her forehead. "It's okay, I know you got scared."  
"It was just... it was like Cre's-"  
"I know." Newt soothed her, rubbing her back between gasping sobs. "But you're safe now."  
"Cre didn't mean to be bad..."  
"I know, I know..." Newt spoke gently. "Do you want to go and see daddy?"  
Modesty nodded, and Newt carried her away.

Auror Espada stayed sat down until Modesty and Newt had left, then turned to the rest and frowned. It was Tina who spoke, her voice barely more than a whisper.  
"She was looking at your belt."

***

 

"I swear Newt..." the Director's voice hissed from inside his office. "You said you had him under control."  
"He didn't mean it," Newt protested, and Evelyn leaned in, listening to what was being said through the door. She hadn't had an opportunity to catch Newt as he was walked through the office, the Director beside him with a tight grip on his arm. 

The Director had looked furious, and Evelyn had wanted to know what was happening. So she'd followed, only to hear the Director, clearly infuriated with something that Newt's son had done. He was a troubled young man, everyone knew that.  
"I will kill him. I will kill him and I will skin him," the Director muttered. Newt whined slightly.  
"He didn't mean any harm!" Newt protested. "You know what he's like. Anything shiny... we got the cufflinks back, no damage done."  
"It’s not to happen again," the Director snapped.  
"It won't." Newt promised, and stepped towards the door.

Evelyn backed away, returning to her desk as Newt scurried from his husband's office and to Goldstein's desk. She glanced over at the two of them.  
"All worked out?" Tina asked, and Newt nodded.  
"It's fine, really, just a spot of bother, you know how these things are."  
"I swear you go looking for trouble."  
"Never deliberately," Newt smiled and headed off. 

Evelyn looked over at Tina.  
"Is everything alright?"  
"Nothing important," Tina answered with a slight shrug. "We sorted it out before anything terrible happened."  
Evelyn managed a slight smile at that. She hoped that nothing terrible had already happened.

***

Newt didn't visit for a few days. The Director seemed to be distracted, barely acknowledging the other aurors. He was working on something private, and he wasn't filling in his paperwork with his normal management. When he briefed them, he seemed to lose track of what he was saying.

Evelyn was sitting at her desk when an urgent message from the Wilifred Hospital arrived. They had found a man unconscious and badly beaten, and were requesting an auror to help discover who this man was. She hurried off to do that, glad to have a mystery on her plate that she might be able to solve. The Wilifred Hospital was a large building, hidden beneath the main No-Maj hospital and equipped to deal with the worst of curse injuries and other magical maladies.

A healer was waiting to greet her.  
"Thank you for coming Auror-"  
"Weiss," Weiss explained. "And you are?"  
"Hugh Fisher." Healer Fisher held out his hand. "You'd best come and see the poor fellow." He had a kind smile and an Irish accent - he would have been Evelyn's type if she wasn't already happily married. "He's woken up, and he says his name is John Smith. But I'm sure that isn't his real name. He isn't telling us what happened, maybe you can make sense of it all."

"I'll try, Mister Fisher." Evelyn let him lead her down to the ward where their patient was laying stretched out on the bed. A sheet was pulled up across his chest. He had two black eyes, and bruising across his shoulders and face. His shirt had been ripped, and nose was bloody. However the red curls meant he was instantly identifiable, even with the injuries.  
"Newt," she murmured.

"You know him?" Mister Fisher asked.  
"I know him." Evelyn answered. "Can I have some privacy so that we can talk?"  
"Go ahead." Mister Fisher stepped out of the room, and Eveyn sat down by Newt's bed.

"Newt, you look... terrible."  
"I had it coming," he answered with a shrug. "Anyway, it'll all be okay in a day or two. Could you do me a favour?"  
"Whatever I can?"  
"Would you not tell Perce where I am? I just need a little while to recover, and I don't want him to see me like this. He has got a bit of a temper and I don't want to upset him, and the children will be distraught."  
"I won't tell him," she promised. "If there is anything you need, any way I can help..."  
"I'm fine." Newt reassured. "Honestly, this is hardly the first time." He looked so bright as he said it that Evelyn's heart ached. She had to do something.

"You and the children would be more welcome to stay with me for a little while, if you need to."  
"Thank you!" Newt smiled. "I think Modesty would like that, she's been asking to meet your little girl... the thought of meeting another young witch ... she wants to make some friends."  
Evelyn made herself smile back, not sure that Newt even understood what was being offered. Her eye was drawn to a faded red notebook which was in the pocket of the man's coat, draped over a chair.

It was the work of a moment to steal the book from his pocket and to slip it into her bag.  
"Just get back to work," Newt insisted. "I know you've got a lot to do, and I'm guessing Percy is having a bad mood. I'll be fine in a day or two. Just tell them you've got it under control."  
Evelyn nodded her agreement, slipping away with a brief reassurance offered to Fisher. Healer Fisher didn't look particularly soothed by her words, but helping Newt was her priority at this moment. She paused before she returned to MACUSA, opening the notebook. 

There were notes about all kinds of creatures which she didn't recognise, and tables about foodstuffs. On the inside of the back cover, there was a brief note.  
"If found, please send to T. Scamander for a reward."

T. Scamander had to be a relative of Newt's. With no-one else to turn to, Evelyn decided she would have to contact this mysterious T.

She sent a note to the British Ministry, asking to be put in contact with T. Scamander. She put the request on official paper, and she wasn't sure if she would get a positive answer. It turned out that T. Scamander was an auror, involved with the American Embassy. He took a Portkey into the office, and it was only by her own quick thinking that she managed to intercept him before he strode into the Director's office.

"Scamander? I'm Auror Weiss. I wanted to talk to you about a personal matter."  
"Has Newt been found?"  
"Newt's been found," she reassured him, and relief crossed his face. She guided him into an empty office.

"What's wrong?"  
"He's beaten but he'll be okay."  
"Where is he? Can I see him?"  
"Not right now." Evelyn answered. "He wants it kept quiet. But it's not just that." She reached into her pocket and drew out the list she had written out, recording all of the injuries Newt had. Scamander stared at the list in horror.  
"You think Percival's been hurting him?"

"I don't know." Weiss said softly. "But I thought you should come to help. Because if he's in trouble, you might be the one who can fix it."  
"Take me to him?" the brother requested softly. "I need to see him."

***

Evelyn led the way to Newt's room, knocking. The Director's voice answered after a moment, and Evelyn nearly jumped.  
"Come in?"  
Evelyn stuck her head around the door to find that Newt was still lying in bed, curled up with his head on the Director's chest. The Director was stroking his fingers through Newt's hair. 

Theseus pushed his way into the room.  
"Get out of there Percival."  
"What?" The Director looked up, frowning at him.  
"Get away from my brother."  
"No." Newt stared. "Theseus, what's happening?"  
"Look at you Newt. You're a real mess, you must know this is bad. He hurt you, and you don't have to stay with him."  
"What?" Newt looked genuinely confused, as did the Director. The Director looked up at the two of them.  
"Weiss, explain yourself. Starting by why you chose not to tell me where my husband was when he had been missing for a week."  
"I ... I wanted to keep him safe sir." Evelyn explained. 

"From me?" the Director asked, concern clear on his face.  
Feeling a little sick, Evelyn nodded.  
"Why?" he demanded.

Evelyn glanced between them. She could only hope that her presence and that of Newt's brother would ensure no more harm came to him.  
"Newt... turns up with injuries. A lot of injuries. There have been plenty of cases of... of people getting hurt by their lovers. And you've got a really stressful job. We all know Newt isn't the easiest."  
"Not the easiest man," Percival agreed. "But I'm not hurting him. I love him." He pressed a kiss to Newt's forehead. "I'd never hurt you."  
"I know," Newt said softly, blinking back tears.

"I can leave if you want." Percival suggested. "If you need some privacy-"  
"I want you to stay." Newt pleaded. "I need you to hear..."  
"What put you in the hospital?" his brother demanded.

"A smuggling gang. That I attempted to infiltrate. That I failed to fool, leading to them leaving me in quite a state."  
"And the rest?" Weiss asked, frowning. "You had a split lip, and a black eye, and bloody clothes... so many different injuries."  
"Uh, I got headbutted by a mooncalf," Newt admitted. "I think I told you I fell that day. I was embarrassed. I was dealing with Sarah, and she got a bit violent."  
"I heard the Director threaten to kill your son."

"I would never lay a hand on any of my children," the Director answered.  
"Modesty was scared of a belt."  
"She was badly treated by a Muggle before we brought her in." Newt answered. "The buckle of the belt that Diego was wearing was almost identical to one her brother used to wear. One that was used to beat all three of the children."

Weiss frowned, beginning to suspect that somehow she had got everything very wrong.  
"But... but you threatened to kill your son. And skin him."  
The Director burst out laughing.  
"Niffler!" Newt squeaked. "He was talking about Nick, my Niffler. He steals Perce's cufflinks most days, and Perce threatens to skin him. He'd never do it."

"Oh," Evelyn mumbled, feeling her face heat up. "I'm sorry sir."  
"Don't be," the Director smiled. "I am proud that you would have gone and investigated this. That you would have stood up to me in order to defend my husband. In this case you were wrong, but you have good instincts."

Evelyn smiled a little, and looked between them. Theseus leaned in and embraced his brother.  
"Hello you little troublemaker. You have to stop getting yourself beaten up."  
"I'm trying." Newt murmured, cuddling his brother and then hissing a little at the pain of the movement. "Auror Weiss?"  
"Yes?"

"I'd like you and your wife to come to dinner soon. Your daughter too. I still want Modesty to meet her, and I want to thank you."  
Evelyn smiled shyly.  
"I'd like that a lot."

***

It was a relief to have exactly what had been going on between Newt and his husband cleared up. Evelyn found herself more able to focus on doing her job now that she had an explanation for Newt's injuries. 

She headed to the Director's house with her wife and daughter, all three of them wearing their best dresses. Evelyn knocked at the door, and Theseus Scamander answered it, Modesty on his shoulders. After a moment, Modesty and Abigail waved at each other.

Theseus placed Modesty on the ground, and the two girls raced off together. Samantha walked over to Newt, planning to talk to him about the hardships of marrying an auror. Theseus waved Evelyn and Percival over to him. "You want to talk about work? Or just want to get drunk?"  
He held out a bottle of beer to each of them. Evelyn reached out for hers with a smile, knocking it against Theseus's and Percival's own.

"You're a good auror," the Director told her. "And you have good instincts. I'm glad I worked with you."  
"Mom?" Abigail tugged on her sleeve. "Mom, can I go into the suitcase with Modesty?"  
"I'll come too. Those creatures sound dangerous."


End file.
